“England will win a World Cup” – Wigan Warriors Mike Cooper promises England success

Wigan Warriors star Mike Cooper said he was “shattered” after England’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa.

“Shattered as you imagine, completely devastated,” Cooper said, “There’s lots of emotions. It’s hard.”

He felt his side deserved more based on their performances in the tournament: “Yeah definitely, I think we deserved a lot more. I thought we sloppy at the start. We clawed it back and let it slip, clawed it back again. You can’t question the bravery and the spirit of the players.

“Two mistakes at the end of the game, it was the story of the game.

“We were a fraction away from making history. Credit to Samoa, they got the win.”

The former Warrington Wolves prop also said it could be his last World Cup but promised that England would win a World Cup: “I’m 34 now mate, that question will be taken out of my hands. It’s been a long year, we’re all emotionally drained.

“We need to see what we can learn from it. I’ve no doubt England will win a World Cup, a major trophy, a major series, with the team we’ve got, the young players and the staff we’ve got. England will win trophies in the future.”